US President Joe Biden requires legal authority from Congress to confiscate Russian assets, which he currently lacks, White House National Security Communications adviser John Kirby said.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said earlier in the day that the Group of Seven countries should work together to explore different approaches to utilizing frozen Russian assets, including seizing and using them as collateral to borrow on global markets.
Russia said it would view any move to seize or use its frozen assets as an "escalation of economic aggression" and would respond harshly.
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"I want to make a couple of things clear. Number one, we still need more legislative authorities from Congress for the President to be able to act on that [unlocking assets]," Kirby said during a press briefing.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said earlier in the day that the Group of Seven countries should work together to explore different approaches to utilizing frozen Russian assets, including seizing and using them as collateral to borrow on global markets.
Russia said it would view any move to seize or use its frozen assets as an "escalation of economic aggression" and would respond harshly.
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NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercises: A precursor to war?
Sputnik’s Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) warns that recent Western rhetoric about sending troops to Ukraine is not necessarily a bluff. He notes that NATO has gathering 90,000 troops in Europe as part of the Steadfast Defender exercises, which are scheduled through the end of May.
“But at the end of May, that doesn't mean that they all go home the next day. It means that they're all still here. They're still all in their positions. They still have all their gear and they plan their next move.”
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Sputnik’s Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) warns that recent Western rhetoric about sending troops to Ukraine is not necessarily a bluff. He notes that NATO has gathering 90,000 troops in Europe as part of the Steadfast Defender exercises, which are scheduled through the end of May.
“But at the end of May, that doesn't mean that they all go home the next day. It means that they're all still here. They're still all in their positions. They still have all their gear and they plan their next move.”
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Seizure of Russian assets would open dangerous Pandora’s Box for the West
💬 “[The] mechanism for the confiscation of foreign assets has already been worked out. Moving from conservatorship to confiscation is, in principle, a fairly simple technical procedure. The amount of assets that are ‘frozen’ on the territory of the Russian Federation, or which may be frozen, is now estimated at approximately $288 billion,” Moscow State University economics professor Dr. Andrei Kolganov told Sputnik, commenting on dueling remarks by Russian and US financial authorities on the possible seizure of Russian assets frozen abroad and their transfer to Ukraine.
💬 “We have a lot of foreign companies working in Russia, including those from so-called unfriendly countries. We have more than 50 decently-sized American firms alone working here, and plenty of European companies,” Dr. Georgy Ostapkovich, director of the Center for Market Research at the Institute of Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge at Russia’s Higher School of Economics, told Sputnik.
📍 “Here we’re talking not only about the confiscation of assets, which will undermine confidence in payments made in reserve currencies. Because any country and any central bank may feel threatened that if the geopolitical situation changes, they could be treated in a similar way,” Kolganov said, pointing out that a decision to seize Russian wealth trapped abroad could undermine confidence in the dollar and the Western financial system as a whole.
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“For private businesses, the confiscation of assets would create a pretty big hole in their earnings and budgets. Therefore, it would be a rather sensitive measure if Russia had to resort to it in response to the confiscation of its assets,” the economist added.
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The chairmen of the House Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee issued a subpoena demanding that US Attorney General Merrick Garland provide all documents on Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of President Joe Biden’s “willful” mishandling of classified information.
According to the cover letter accompanying the subpoena and signed by Congressmen James Comer and Jim Jordan respectively, the US Justice Department to date has not provided either records related to Hur’s investigation or a deadline when it expects to produce all of the requested material.
The initial request to provide the documents was made on February 12, according to the letter.
The Judiciary and Oversight Committees are leading an investigation into business dealings and other activities of the Biden family to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to draft articles of impeachment against Biden.
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According to the cover letter accompanying the subpoena and signed by Congressmen James Comer and Jim Jordan respectively, the US Justice Department to date has not provided either records related to Hur’s investigation or a deadline when it expects to produce all of the requested material.
The initial request to provide the documents was made on February 12, according to the letter.
The Judiciary and Oversight Committees are leading an investigation into business dealings and other activities of the Biden family to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to draft articles of impeachment against Biden.
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Ukraine is on track to lose additional territories in the coming months due to a lack of military support from the US, White House National Security Communications adviser John Kirby said.
He pointed out that such a situation could happen in eastern Ukraine, but also potentially in the south of the country.
Kirby stressed that the situation on the ground is dire.
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the need to provide additional support to Ukraine is urgent.
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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“If they continue to get no support from the US, in a month or two, it is very likely that the Russians will achieve more territorial gains and have more success against Ukrainian frontlines in terms of just territory gain,” Kirby told reporters.
He pointed out that such a situation could happen in eastern Ukraine, but also potentially in the south of the country.
Kirby stressed that the situation on the ground is dire.
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the need to provide additional support to Ukraine is urgent.
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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US journalist Tucker Carlson recounts how he was spied on on at least two separate occasions during his trip to Moscow.
Carlson first realized he was being surveilled when news of his planned interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin leaked to the press. Carlson had only told three people of his plans.
The journalist was reminded of the "intense" spy campaign around him when news of a private meeting with whistleblower Edward Snowden found its way to an online news outlet. Carlson notes the NSA admitted to infiltrating his Signal account two years ago. Signal is an encrypted messaging app hardened to prevent snooping from all but the most determined and technologically sophisticated state-backed spy agencies.
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Carlson first realized he was being surveilled when news of his planned interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin leaked to the press. Carlson had only told three people of his plans.
The journalist was reminded of the "intense" spy campaign around him when news of a private meeting with whistleblower Edward Snowden found its way to an online news outlet. Carlson notes the NSA admitted to infiltrating his Signal account two years ago. Signal is an encrypted messaging app hardened to prevent snooping from all but the most determined and technologically sophisticated state-backed spy agencies.
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Tucker Carlson says he had a private meeting with Edward Snowden, who refused an interview.
However, due to constant surveillance by the US government, this information became public.
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However, due to constant surveillance by the US government, this information became public.
"If you have a media establishment that acts as an auxiliary of, or acts as employees of the national security state, you don't have a free country. And that's where we are," Carlson emphasized.
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Journalist Tucker Carlson notes the ways the American public is lied to about the conflict in the Donbass -- not just in the broader narrative of a supposed Ukrainian victory, but also in the finer details of the confrontation.
Carlson notes that Russia is producing seven times more artillery shells than all European NATO countries combined, giving the country a significant advantage.
That's "the significant fact" of the conflict, claimed Carlson, but it's a fact most Americans are entirely unaware of because US media only serves "the interests of the US government, period."
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Carlson notes that Russia is producing seven times more artillery shells than all European NATO countries combined, giving the country a significant advantage.
That's "the significant fact" of the conflict, claimed Carlson, but it's a fact most Americans are entirely unaware of because US media only serves "the interests of the US government, period."
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🇷🇺 The Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system has arrived in Alabino near Moscow to prepare for the Victory Parade on May 9
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US journalist Tucker Carlson said that his lawyers warned him that the United States could arrest him on sanctions violations for conducting an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Carlson said he was happy to face such a risk and rejected the premise of such charges.
Carlson's head lawyer reportedly said his freedom depended on the questions he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If you're seen as too nice to him, you could get arrested when you come back," Carlson's lawyer reportedly said.
"You're describing a fascist country. You're saying that the U.S. government will arrest me if I don't ask the questions they want asked?" the American journalist wondered.
Meanwhile, Carlson insists he wasn't concerned for his safety in Russia at all.
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"My lawyers, before I left … said you’re going to get arrested if you do this by the US government on sanctions violations," Carlson said in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman.
Carlson said he was happy to face such a risk and rejected the premise of such charges.
Carlson's head lawyer reportedly said his freedom depended on the questions he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If you're seen as too nice to him, you could get arrested when you come back," Carlson's lawyer reportedly said.
"You're describing a fascist country. You're saying that the U.S. government will arrest me if I don't ask the questions they want asked?" the American journalist wondered.
Meanwhile, Carlson insists he wasn't concerned for his safety in Russia at all.
"I mean it when I say I felt not one twinge of concern for the eight days that I was there," the journalist stressed.
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A US B-52 bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons had to conduct an emergency landing in the state of North Dakota due to a single-engine fire, a Minot Air Force Base spokesperson said in a statement to Sputnik.
According to the base, none of the crewmembers of the aircraft were injured and the Minot Air Force Base fire department arrived on the scene to extinguish the engine fire.
The incident is currently under investigation, the spokesperson noted.
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“A United States B-52H Stratofortress bomber from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota performed an emergency landing at approximately 12:52 a.m. February 23, 2024, at Minot AFB, North Dakota due to a single engine fire," the spokesperson said on Tuesday.
According to the base, none of the crewmembers of the aircraft were injured and the Minot Air Force Base fire department arrived on the scene to extinguish the engine fire.
The incident is currently under investigation, the spokesperson noted.
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“My only interest is in America,” said journalist Tucker Carlson during an interview this week. “As a human being, as a Christian, I hate war. And anybody who doesn't hate war shouldn't have power, in my opinion.”
Carlson decried the greed of Western economic interests like Blackrock, who stand to profit handsomely from reconstruction in Ukraine as an entire generation is sacrificed.
The result of the US and UK’s undermining of negotiated peace with Russia is “more dead Ukrainians and a lot of profit for the West. It's a moral crime,” he concluded.
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Carlson decried the greed of Western economic interests like Blackrock, who stand to profit handsomely from reconstruction in Ukraine as an entire generation is sacrificed.
The result of the US and UK’s undermining of negotiated peace with Russia is “more dead Ukrainians and a lot of profit for the West. It's a moral crime,” he concluded.
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Tucker Carlson recounts how he tried to interview former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he called Carlson “a tool of the Kremlin.”
The controversial British politician demanded $1 million for the sitdown.
Carlson recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded no money for an interview: “He wasn't in this for profit.” Although Putin is cast as “a bad guy” in Western media, the episode led the journalist to conclude Johnson is far “sleazier.”
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The controversial British politician demanded $1 million for the sitdown.
Carlson recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded no money for an interview: “He wasn't in this for profit.” Although Putin is cast as “a bad guy” in Western media, the episode led the journalist to conclude Johnson is far “sleazier.”
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Journalist Tucker Carlson concluded that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a “rapacious fraud,” but emphasized he’s more concerned about the future of Ukraine, “this country that purportedly we care so much about.”
Carlson sounded a note of humility, saying he’s “not a genius,” but felt like he could at least “puncture some of the lies” from Western leaders about the Donbass conflict. “That's an inherent good,” he said.
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“All these people are dying, and what is the end game?” he asked.
Carlson sounded a note of humility, saying he’s “not a genius,” but felt like he could at least “puncture some of the lies” from Western leaders about the Donbass conflict. “That's an inherent good,” he said.
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“I'm a d*** by my nature," said US journalist Tucker Carlson, adding that he could’ve chosen to be far more aggressive in his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But the maverick reporter said he doesn’t feel the need to prove himself at this stage in his life and didn’t want to make the interview about himself.
“There's a war going on that is wrecking the US economy in a way and at a scale people do not understand,” said Carlson, suggesting it’s far more important to him to convey this message to the American people.
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But the maverick reporter said he doesn’t feel the need to prove himself at this stage in his life and didn’t want to make the interview about himself.
“There's a war going on that is wrecking the US economy in a way and at a scale people do not understand,” said Carlson, suggesting it’s far more important to him to convey this message to the American people.
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“The US dollar is going away,” noted journalist Tucker Carlson dramatically, claiming the US Congress and US President Joe Biden are “accelerating” this process through their desperate sanctions on Russia.
Carlson suggested that conveying the danger of the current moment to Americans was his primary motivation during his interview with Putin.
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“People don't understand what the ramifications of that are. The ramifications are poverty in the United States, okay?” the journalist stressed.
Carlson suggested that conveying the danger of the current moment to Americans was his primary motivation during his interview with Putin.
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Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held security consultations with representatives of Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia in Managua, and stated Moscow's readiness to provide comprehensive support to Latin American friends, the Russian Security Council said.
The countries exchanged views on regional security issues, including "measures to counter external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states," the statement said.
The United States will increase pressure on several Latin American countries that do not satisfy Washington with their independence policies, Patrushev added.
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The countries exchanged views on regional security issues, including "measures to counter external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states," the statement said.
"For our part, we are ready to provide all possible, comprehensive support to our Latin American friends. It is necessary to strengthen our coordination on international platforms. To stand shoulder to shoulder for the sovereign equality of states, the rule of law, the indivisibility of security, the inadmissibility of interference in internal affairs, and to oppose illegal sanctions pressure," Patrushev emphasized.
The United States will increase pressure on several Latin American countries that do not satisfy Washington with their independence policies, Patrushev added.
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Remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron on a possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine were aimed at creating deterrence and ambiguity toward Russia, and "everyone knows" that Western special forces are in Ukraine, an unnamed senior European defense official told Financial Times.
After a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine on Monday, Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and had neither reached a consensus on the matter nor ruled out the possibility. Several NATO countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and Hungary, have since distanced themselves from Macron’s comment, emphasizing that they have no intention of deploying troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow had taken notice of the French president's remarks and was well aware of his position regarding the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, adding that some countries that participated in a meeting held in Paris on Ukraine held a quite "wise assessment of potential dangers" of being involved in the conflict.
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"Everyone knows there are western special forces in Ukraine — they’ve just not acknowledged it officially," the official said.
After a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine on Monday, Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and had neither reached a consensus on the matter nor ruled out the possibility. Several NATO countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and Hungary, have since distanced themselves from Macron’s comment, emphasizing that they have no intention of deploying troops on the ground in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow had taken notice of the French president's remarks and was well aware of his position regarding the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, adding that some countries that participated in a meeting held in Paris on Ukraine held a quite "wise assessment of potential dangers" of being involved in the conflict.
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US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump are set to win presidential primaries in the state of Michigan, projects of US broadcasters CNN and Fox News showed.
Fox News reported that Trump is winning with 65.6% with 15% of the vote counted, while his only rival, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, secured 30.2% of the vote. CNN reported, citing preliminary results with 10% of the vote tallied, that 64.5% of Republicans voted for Trump and only 31.3% voted for Haley. Both broadcasters project that Trump will win the GOP Michigan primary.
At the same time, Biden is leading in the primary with over 78.5% with 10% of the vote counted, while US Congressman Dean Phillips received less than 3% of the vote, CNN reported. Fox News, citing preliminary results with 14% of the vote counted, reported that Biden is winning with 79%, while Phillips could not secure more than 3% of the vote. Both broadcasters project that Biden will win Michigan's Democratic primary.
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Fox News reported that Trump is winning with 65.6% with 15% of the vote counted, while his only rival, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, secured 30.2% of the vote. CNN reported, citing preliminary results with 10% of the vote tallied, that 64.5% of Republicans voted for Trump and only 31.3% voted for Haley. Both broadcasters project that Trump will win the GOP Michigan primary.
At the same time, Biden is leading in the primary with over 78.5% with 10% of the vote counted, while US Congressman Dean Phillips received less than 3% of the vote, CNN reported. Fox News, citing preliminary results with 14% of the vote counted, reported that Biden is winning with 79%, while Phillips could not secure more than 3% of the vote. Both broadcasters project that Biden will win Michigan's Democratic primary.
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❗️ Russian forces destroyed a parking lot of Ukrainian HIMARS MLRS rocket systems manufactured by the United States and a drone assembly shop for Ukrainian troops in the Nikolayev region with strikes from February 23 to 25, Sergei Lebedev, the coordinator of the underground, told Sputnik.
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"HIMRAS were located in the military part of the settlement of Staraya Bogdanovka, which is located opposite to the city of Nikolaev across the Yuzhny Bug River. According to Nikolaev residents, the 'alarms' on cars in half the city went off... There were repeatedly recorded volleys of long-range missiles from that side of the river. One of the warehouses and parking places of HIMARS, from which they fired, were just in Staraya Bogdanovka," the agency's interlocutor said.
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“We have become our own enemy”: Polish farmers are making headlines with highly-visible acts of defiance as out of touch European leaders destroy citizens’ quality of life as well as their own political legitimacy.
A remarkable act of protest took place over the weekend when demonstrators spilled 160 tons of Ukrainian grain from rail cars at a station in Poland. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister immediately denounced the act and called for arrests, demonstrating the degree to which the country’s puppet government feels ennoscriptd to dictate European Union policy.
But journalist Elijah Magnier predicted such acts of defiance would continue as European leaders enact “policy that is incompatible with the necessity and the interests of the European people.”
Magnier recounted the ways EU policy and support for Ukraine are harming farmers and average citizens on Sputnik’s Fault Lines program. “We are fighting our own economy,” he claimed, adding “what they're doing is impoverishing Europe.”
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A remarkable act of protest took place over the weekend when demonstrators spilled 160 tons of Ukrainian grain from rail cars at a station in Poland. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister immediately denounced the act and called for arrests, demonstrating the degree to which the country’s puppet government feels ennoscriptd to dictate European Union policy.
But journalist Elijah Magnier predicted such acts of defiance would continue as European leaders enact “policy that is incompatible with the necessity and the interests of the European people.”
Magnier recounted the ways EU policy and support for Ukraine are harming farmers and average citizens on Sputnik’s Fault Lines program. “We are fighting our own economy,” he claimed, adding “what they're doing is impoverishing Europe.”
“The governments went 180 degrees and Russia became our enemy. But it is not true because we have become our own enemy,” the journalist emphasized.
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